Loving and losing a dog: Your stories

By Daphne Sashin, CNN

Updated 1943 GMT (0343 HKT) November 30, 2012

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Photos:Dogs loved and lost

Jenny (1994-2012) – "For every moment of my life in the past 17.5 years that I've spent going, and doing, and running, and stressing, and pushing, and feeling restless over all other aspects of my life, Jenny was the thing that grounded me. During some of the darkest days of my life, I could bury my face in Jenny's fur, listen to her heart beating, and feel like things were ok." -- iReporter Kathleen Farro

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Casey (2002-2012) – "We all have things that bother us. ... Casey's was plastic bags. I once timed him at almost 25 minutes of continuous barking at a plastic bag on the countertop in the kitchen. The bag of course was doing nothing but sitting there but to him in his mind it was violating some law of the universe and he was doing his duty to protect us from it." -- iReporter Brian Standen

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Daisy (2004-2012) – "She loved to just sit nearby, her head in my lap, and would cuddle as much as possible. Her squeaky ball was her best buddy and she loved to 'woo' along with the fire truck sirens that frequently passed our home. ... Sometimes I dream I hear her squeaky ball in the middle of the night and wake up smiling, remembering my silly girl running around the house in the dark chasing her ball." -- iReporter Kelly Robinson

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Kayak (2001-2007) – "I don't think we ever laughed as hard as we did the time we tried to help Kayak with his cold feet in the snow. He would often stop while walking in snow and hold one foot in the frozen air looking like a forlorn Southern dog, very out of place in Northern Illinois. I purchased him a set of booties -- and his first steps in the booties sent us into fits of giggling so memorable we still grin at the memory. He lifted his feet as high as possibly on every step, prancing like a show horse, thoroughly bewildered at these things attached to his paws." -- iReporter Rebecca McNabb

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Bear (1999-2012) – "His favorite activities were swimming in a lake, fetching large sticks, and chasing neighborhood cats (they always got away). He was a big foodie and would stare at the fridge even after he had his kibble, a bit of canned food mixed in, maybe some steamed vegetables, and sometimes a little bit of pasta (don't tell anyone). I invested a small fortune over the years in beef marrow bones, which Bear adored." -- iReporter Janeen D. Nichels

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Lacie (1999-2012) – "Once I moved an hour away, and then two hours away to attend college and graduate school, I would make the long trips home often just to spend time with her. Every time I got home I would lay on our living room floor and she would do this thing that I named 'the rubby dubby.' She'd give me several large kisses and then bury her head into my neck and then flip onto her side and wiggle around while I scratched her back and belly." -- iReporter Emma Burke

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Nestor (2003-2012) – "He came home as a scared little puppy with long legs and a pink tummy. He was so scared he wouldn't stop shaking for hours after we got home. Then he realized we already loved him and he got brave enough to walk around and allow himself to explore. Nestor, we named him. It was a strong name for a gentle sweet puppy. He would eventually grow up and become strong but he would always be gentle." -- iReporter Vivianne DeBarros

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Marley (2001-2012) – "We know we gave him a great home and he gave so much in return. A smile every day, a face in the window waiting for us to come home, a loyal companion, a co-pilot on every adventure and the certainty that even though the pain of loss is unbelievably crushing, you would do it all over again in a heartbeat." -- iReporter Jennifer Smoluk

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Tucker (2004-2012) – "We adopted Tucker at 10 weeks old and we immediately knew he was special. The moment you met him you were smitten by his lovely, sweet personality. His favorite things were snuggling with you and swimming. Of course he liked his sweets too -- counter surfing for lemon cake and chocolate chip cookies on a number of occasions!" -- iReporter Tammy Geerdts

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Tyr (2001-2011) – "I often still look for him. It takes people 28 days in whatever program to quit something. ... A year and a half later ... I still haven't quite gotten used to his absence after almost 10 years. It wasn't so much that I trained him. He trained me." -- iReporter Jason W. Dallas

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Gyro (Unknown-2012) – "Gyro came into my husband's and my life the year I went from working in corporate America to leaving it, as so many have, not by choice but by 'restructuring,' to starting my own photography studio. That's how he became the studio dog. As the studio dog he spent hours there helping me set up lights, edit photos and greet clients. He was with me all the time and as a friend he was second to none." -- iReporter Karen Heltzel

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Dickens (1999-2011) – "He was mischievous and an inveterate food thief who had a taste for pizza 'bones,' jalapenos & pepper jack cheese. ... In puppyhood, he destroyed half of my baseball cap collection and I walked around with no insoles in my shoes for two years. He was also the most loving soul I have ever met, my boon companion whether we were being couch potatoes together or going away for a few days." -- iReporter Del Barbato

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Kishi (2002-2012) – "She was surprisingly serious and soulful for a Boxer ... but she did often have a 'silly' side. ... Nothing can replace her wagging nubber and 'happy to see you' sidways crab dance (or her endless love of food!)" -- iReporter Stephanie Smith

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Buster (2002-2012) – "Buster and I would walk almost daily. I smoked cigars and Buster would pick up a stick from the ground and hold it in his mouth. He always looked like he was mimicking me. I wish I had taken a picture of the two of us walking down the street holding our 'sticks' in our mouths." -- iReporter Robert W. Hallman Jr.

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Lady (1999-2010) – "True to her name, Lady was loving and polite and made a great sibling for an only child who needed a partner on her adventures. We often played soccer until dusk in the huge yard out back, and when I tired, she would help my father mow the lawn. She knew just how close she could get to his garden tractor, and he would lean down to pick up a stick for her to fetch. ... Her intuition told her when it was time to put the stick down, though, to lay her head in someone's lap, to console, to take away pain or stress." -- iReporter Jen Shideler

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Wanda (2008-2012) – "Wanda's personality added a unique spark that lit up our lives. She was full of energy, spunk and most importantly love. We couldn't believe that a dog who was used and abused ... could give so much positive energy and affection. Although she only spent 8 months with our family, it will be 8 months we will remember forever." -- iReporter Karol Afaneh

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Abby (2000-2012) – "For weeks after her passing, I could not say her name without breaking down. I heard her nails clicking on the wood floor. I couldn't wash her bedding for a month as her smell lingered in it. It's been almost five months now, and I still miss her every day, but the feelings are less raw. I told myself I'd wait a year and then decide about another furry friend. In the meantime, I stop neighbors who are walking their dogs and ask them if I can love on their pup for a bit. (They always say yes.) The thought of loving and losing another gives me pause. But, I know the love will win out." -- iReporter Robyn McCarty

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Story highlights

Singer Fiona Apple recently canceled a tour to stay home with her dying dog

CNN.com readers understand her decision after enduring their own dogs' deaths

Singer Fiona Apple's recent decision to cancel a tour to care for her dying dog, Janet, brought an outpouring of support from dog owners who could relate all too well to the need to honor their beloved companions until the very end.

As CNN's Kat Kinsman recently wrote in a tribute to her late Irish Wolfhound, Mordred: "Dogs express their love and trust in many ways -- some lap at your face, knock you down with kisses as you come home, leave a half-dead animal on your pillow, or sit on your lap and sigh with contentment. The large and stoic ones tend to lean. It's a hug. It's the best feeling in the universe."

We saw a well of sympathy in response to Kinsman's story, like from the commenter who said, "My doggies never hold grudges, shun me, argue with me, they give love, laughter, constancy and protection. How can one not love and honor such behavior? That means returning the favor no matter what that takes."

After reading the comments on Kinsman's essay, CNN iReport decided to invite dog owners to share their stories about the animals they loved and lost. The assignment turned into a wake of sorts for owners -- many for whom the loss was still fresh -- to share their best times with their furry pals and their last moments together.

"The love of an animal is something you can't define or even describe. No judgment, no questions, no pity; just love and cuddles and slobbery kisses, and the occasional 'woo' with a fire siren at 3 a.m," Kelly Robinson said in her tribute to her golden retriever, Daisy, who died in April.